Crows coach Don Pyke does not look a happy man after addressing his players during their diastrous loss to Hawthorn on June 16.JULIAN SMITH

AFL

Crows cut ties with company that ran infamous training camp

23rd Jun 2018 4:25 PM

ADELAIDE has sensationally parted ways with Collective Mind - the company that helped the Crows run their infamous Gold Coast-based training camp in early February.

Crows coach Don Pyke and football manager Brett Burton confirmed during a press conference on Saturday that the club had cut ties with the company, with Pyke labelling the camp as a "fail".

Foxfooty.com.au reported in March that multiple Crows players were left bewildered and mentally distressed during the camp.

The club signed a two-year agreement with Collective Mind, but the two organisations mutually agreed to part ways in the 24 hours prior to Saturday's press conference.

Burton told reporters: "Clearly we had some good impact with the program last year, but this year hasn't gone the way we wanted it to.

"We haven't come away with a good result from the camp."

Pyke added: "Some of those sessions didn't hit the mark and didn't resonate with the players.

"I won't be an apologist for us trying to get better. It hasn't worked, so we make a decision and we move on. And that's a mutual decision made with the Collective Mind group."

Burton insisted, however, the Crows had done their due diligence before bringing Collective Minds into the club and reiterated several times there were "no lingering issues" with players and staff post-camp.

The Crows have tumbled from AFL pacesetter to also-rans. Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Burton confirmed one indigenous player was offended by the use of an artefact referred to as a talking stick and references to rites of passage during the camp.

But Burton said the club sought clarity and "within 72 hours that was dealt with".

Pyke also said each of the players had the opportunity to make contact with loved ones during the camp.

Adelaide has the bye in Round 14 after a tumultuous start to 2018, punctuated by an array of injuries to key players and reports of internal disharmony and the infamous pre-season camp that would seen to have left many disgruntled.

The Crows unravelled on the field last Saturday night in a disastrous 56-point loss to Hawthorn, with the club failing to score in the third quarter as the Hawks piled on 7.2.

Pyke said after the game that the club didn't accept its stunning fall from grace - the Crows sit 11th with a 6-7 record - and he believed his side could unite after the bye and still push to play finals this season.

This week, Power premiership captain Warren Tredrea brutally picked apart Adelaide's disastrous dip since the 2017 Grand Final, while also making some stunning claims around the Crows' highly scrutinised fitness program.